Baltimore police custody death from blunt force trauma

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

WMAR

Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

BALTIMORE - In the 11 days following the death of Anthony Anderson in East Baltimore, community activists and the man's family have called it police brutality. Now, they hold up a report by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that shows the 46-year-old had blunt force injuries to the torso, and that his death is ruled a homicide.

"His daughter and a couple of other family members saw him fall on his head," said Nancy Harvey, Anderson's sister.

On the evening of September 21, Anderson's family says he came out of a bar on Biddle St. when he was confronted by police. His mother, son, daughter, and two-year-old granddaughter were there.

"It was told to us that they laughed, they thought it was funny. And we were telling them that Tony was complaining of suffering, of hurting, that they said he was just faking because he did not want to go to jail. And that's not true," said Harvey.

Police would not speak on camera, but they confirmed that three officers are on paid leave and drugs were not a contributing factor to Anderson's death. Initially, police said he tried to swallow drugs.

The family attorney says he will file a civil lawsuit, claiming excessive force.

"People get taken down on the streets every day. They don't die. They don't have their spleens ruptured," said J. Wyndal Gordon.

The report shows fractured ribs, a ruptured spleen, and internal bleeding. We don't know yet if the unnamed officers will be charged.

"We want these officers fired. We want them arrested and we want them convicted because if it was a normal citizen that committed homicide, they would be behind bars," said Harvey.

"Their paid vacation at the taxpayer's expense should come to an end," said Rev. Cortly "C.D." Witherspoon, president, Baltimore chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The community activists say they will protest later this week at the State's Attorney's Office if charges aren't filed.